1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable stages and, more particularly, to rapidly erectable units assemblable to form a stage and rapidly disassemblable onto a conventional flatbed trailer for transport.
2. Description of Related Art
During the half-time at sporting events, such as football, entertainment is usually provided on the field of play. Such entertainment may take the form of marching bands, and similar groups who perform upon the field or playing surface. When gymnasts and the like perform, mats or other stable surfaces are laid upon the playing surface to provide a sure footing for the performers. If musical groups, with or without singers and/or dancers, provide the entertainment, a stage is often used. Such a stage must be rapidly brought onto the playing surface and erected to the extent necessary for use. Thereafter, the stage must be quickly disassembled and removed from the playing surface. Existing stages for this purpose suffer from several problems. First, they are not very rapidly assemblable and disassemblable which significantly reduces the period of entertainment provided during half-time. Second, the movement of the stage on and off the field may result in ruts in the playing surface by both the stage and the vehicles used to draw the stage on and off the field. Third, the weight of the stage, when assembled, may cause damage to the playing surface in the form of severe depressions or holes. Fourth, activities relating to the movement of the stage components on and off the field may cause damage to the playing surface significant enough to affect the game being played. Because of the weight and cumbersomeness of existing stages, the size of a stage useable for this purpose is severely limited and therefore limits the type and nature of entertainment that can be performed on the stage. Few, if any, existing stages are transportable on highways by conventional flatbed trailers pulled by tractor trucks and require special permits or suffer from limitations attendant oversize loads. Finally, the cumbersomeness of existing stages places severe fiscal and practical constraints on transporting the stages from one location to another.